CBC News (The National): Canada is challenged by a surge in asylum seekers from failed nations entering irregularly via the U.S. border or overstaying visas, straining public services amid a housing crisis. With 57,440 asylum claims in early 2025—up 22% from 2024, including 5,500 from international students—overcrowded schools in provinces like Ontario and British Columbia face acute shortages, especially for English-language programs.
To address this, jurisdictions are deploying modular prefabricated school buildings as a rapid, cost-effective solution. These portable yet permanent structures, like those at B.C.’s David Cameron Elementary, add capacity for 190+ students in months, easing enrolment pressures without long construction delays.
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Fried chicken with sweet sauce and cabbage, mid sized portion of rice, okra with mustard and shredded chicken, sweet egg omelette with waffles and cream at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan 🇯🇵
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Today we veer (slightly) from our primary interest in interoperability standards to explore the moment in best practice discovery and promulgation in the hardware supporting the artificial intelligence zietgeist. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
Power Distribution Units (PDUs) are critical in data centers, serving as the backbone for reliable power management. They distribute electricity from the main power source to servers, networking equipment, and other devices, ensuring consistent and stable power delivery.
PDUs offer features like load balancing, surge protection, and remote monitoring, which optimize energy efficiency and prevent outages. By providing multiple outlets and circuit protection, they safeguard expensive equipment from power fluctuations. Advanced PDUs enable real-time data tracking, aiding in capacity planning and fault detection.
Ultimately, PDUs ensure uptime, operational efficiency, and scalability in data centers. We track, and sometimes participate, in the standards setting for these organizations develop the key standards that govern PDU design, safety, efficiency, and interoperability, influencing global manufacturing compliance:
UL (Underwriters Laboratories): Establishes safety standards like UL 60950-1 for IT equipment, ensuring PDUs prevent hazards in high-density environments.
IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission): Develops core electrical standards such as IEC 60950-1 and IEC 62368-1 for low-voltage safety and audio/video/IT equipment, critical for PDU power handling.
ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA): Sets efficiency benchmarks for PDUs, promoting low-loss designs to minimize data center energy waste (up to 12% savings).Related:
NFPA 70 is one of the most widely used standards for electrotechnology in the world. The University of Michigan began assertive advocacy on behalf of the US education industry in the NFPA suite in 1996 and that advocacy has expanded globally under two different private organizations: See About
Phase I is now completed. The Phase I Final Report (with public comments) is available in the links below:
In October, the project Principal Researcher, Tammy Gammon, provided an update to the NFPA Research Foundation. Her slides are available in the link below:
We wish to thank our colleagues at Notre Dame who helped “get the ball rolling”, our colleagues in the Big Ten & Friends consortia, and forward-thinking manufacturers for their pledges:
Eaton Corporation
MIAPPA | Michigan Association of Physical Plant Administrators
Michigan State University
Ohio State University
University of Iowa
University of Minnesota
University of Nebraska
University of Texas Austin
Issue [13-33]
Contact: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben (True North, LLC); Tom Harman (University of Houston Clearwater), Kane Howard (Michigan State University), Paul Kempf (Notre Dame)
Colleagues: Robert G. Arno (Harris Corp), Joe Weber (Emerson), Casey Grant (NFPA), Larry Ayers (Independent Electrical Contractors Association)
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
